[carnutfrombanga]

Hello Team bhp members.

I have a 3 year old son and we live in Bengaluru.

My wife and I were quite keen on admitting him into an alternative school and was hoping to get feedback and suggestions from parents who have their kids in these schools or know someone in their close friend circle.

My criteria are lesser academic pressure, eg. No tests until 5th Standard or so, spending more time outdoors, lesser or no homework.

I have found a few schools like Centre for Learning and Shibumi that I will be visiting soon.

I was also hoping for more suggestions around Bengaluru.

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from all of you.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Shifting Gears section!

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

My criteria are lesser academic pressure, eg. No tests until 5th Standard or so, spending more time outdoors, lesser or no homework.

Guess an IB school is what you are looking for? Same philosophy.

[am1m]

I've heard good things about The Valley School, towards Kanakpura. They have a great campus (people go there for birding). A friend whose kid studied there was very happy with the school.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by am1m

I've heard good things about The Valley School, towards Kanakpura.

I remember having a PUC classmate in 1984-86 who studied in Valley School until 10th. He was very different from rest of us.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by am1m

I've heard good things about The Valley School, towards Kanakpura. They have a great campus (people go there for birding). A friend whose kid studied there was very happy with the school.

Originally Posted by Samurai

I remember having a PUC classmate in 1984-86 who studied in Valley School until 10th. He was very different from rest of us.

Valley school produces good kids but they will be different and seek out very different paths in life. Nothing wrong in that but they will not fit in or will take time to fit in with peers. It takes adjustment and they should be ready for this.

My daughter studied in Mallya Aditi - lovely school despite kids with moneybag parents. Most kids went abroad but some like mine studied in semi govt run institutions with barely basic amenities and adjusted well.

You could look at Neev, NAFL, Indus but they all are expensive.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

I was also hoping for more suggestions around Bengaluru.

I'd recommend doing a visit to the Valley school (Kanakpura). I believe they might have discovery sessions for parents to evaluate alternate options (what they offer) to the usual schooling options.

Originally Posted by Samurai

He was very different from rest of us.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Valley school produces good kids but they will be different and seek out very different paths in life. Nothing wrong in that but they will not fit in or will take time to fit in with peers. It takes adjustment and they should be ready for this.

Both of your posts can be inferred in a negative standpoint so here's a counter view.

I have extended family member(s) who have graduated from the Valley school(s) and they are pretty much similar to any of us; and have taken up career options that any of us emerging from state/CBSE/etc boards. I also have a friend in Pune who's kid is in an school that has curriculum / teaching similar to what Valley school offers; and that kiddo is as normal as any of our kids.

[Rajeevraj]

Prakriya Green Wisdom School on Sarjapur Road fits into this category. Have heard 3rd person accounts of good feedback, no direct experience.

https://prakriyaschool.edu.in/

Looked at the website now. Earlier, I knew they were completely on an alternative path. Now looks like they are balancing it with a regular ICSE curriculum also.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

My criteria are lesser academic pressure, eg. No tests until 5th Standard or so, spending more time outdoors, lesser or no homework.

BBMP school - it's a compelling method of alternative schooling if one is being honest.

My wife and I were quite keen on admitting him into an alternative school and was hoping to get feedback and suggestions from parents who have their kids in these schools or know someone in their close friend circle.

Alternative schools are great but they are very far off from home and always have some weird evangelical agenda that parents are expected to kneel and receive. It's like donating your kid to some cult.

On a serious note, don't chase fancy schools. The academic pressure, etc. is mostly by parents. Schools are totally chill these days. Bangalore has many good neighbourhood schools catering to all budgets. Living in a gated community, spending free time with kids will not only be great for the kid but also great for the whole family.

[One]

Originally Posted by androdev

The academic pressure, etc. is mostly by parents.

Second this completely. Schools are under reverse pressure by parents so there's not a lot of pressure by (most) schools on children in the initial years of schooling (some regions of India have schools which buck this trend but Bangalore is not one of them).

The academic pressure or any other pressure is driven by parents , moreso by parents when in a group. As long as a parent ensures that peer talk about exams etc do not affect the child (and we have seen it being easily done), the closest regular school is the best school for the amount of time it gives a kid to play, explore, form hobbies etc.

[swoosh]

There is a Facebook group "Bangalore schools" which has a lot of information about schools , reviews, different boards, parents' experience and discussion on alternative school, home schooling etc...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bang...ibextid=NSMWBT

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by androdev

On a serious note, don't chase fancy schools. The academic pressure, etc. is mostly by parents. Schools are totally chill these days. Bangalore has many good neighborhood schools catering to all budgets.

Originally Posted by One

Second this completely. Schools are under reverse pressure by parents so there's not a lot of pressure by (most) schools on children in the initial years of schooling (some regions of India have schools which buck this trend but Bangalore is not one of them).

This is a very valid point. My kid's school which is fairly chill and focused on all round development and not just academics were forced to start a 'Enhanced Academic' track mainly due to pressure from parents. Children were being pulled out because the school was not giving enough focus to academics in their view and school had to do something.

So this enhanced academic track is in partnership with an Edtech company, a separate section is created for this. Kids enrolled here have a additional period, some of the PE and extra curricular periods cut and some teachers from the Edtech company. Of course, additional fees also. Lots of parents were happy about this.

[dmplog]

Is residential school an option? If yes, Isha World School at Isha Yoga Coimbatore campus is an excellent choice. Have a close friend's son there. Also heard about a new campus they are opening nearby Bangalore.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by androdev

On a serious note, don't chase fancy schools. The academic pressure, etc. is mostly by parents. Schools are totally chill these days. Bangalore has many good neighbourhood schools catering to all budgets. Living in a gated community, spending free time with kids will not only be great for the kid but also great for the whole family.

Spot on!
Not sure what is the specific reason behind OP’s search for an alternative school, but there is a lot down to parents and the kind of community the kids grow up in.

An ex-colleague had enrolled his son in a new-age school for couple of years, not really an alternative school, but one of those schools where they supposedly had some new approach to studying etc. Two years down the line the Father realised that his son was really down on certain fundamentals, so he then moved him to a regular school and the kid again took 2 years to settle down.

My own experience, i have a 11 year old kid who is in class 6, has been in the same school since grade-1. Its a typical ICSE Bangalore school, i would say its like a mid-tier kind of a school, but not super premium. Good facilities and all that, but they dont do anything very different. They focus on academics along a fair amount of extra curricular activities. I see kids from all walks of life when I visit the school, like there are Audis, BMWs, on one side and some autos on the other side, so there is a wide spectrum of people. And this i think is very important, you have to have normalcy else in some of those exclusive and premium schools, the kids may end up with an unrealistic view of the outside world.

Not to say that premium or alternative schools dont work, but it depends on the parents, as to what they are seeking out for their kid. Sure its good for people looking for something different and a lot of kids thrive in such an environment as well.

I happen to live in a rather large apartment society and i have seen my son’s friends grow alongside him and they happen to study in different types of schools, across different spectrums. And yet, I have not seen anyone being super special purely due to the school they are in. Have come across some street smart kids from regular schools. It really boils down to the environment parents create, along with the friends the kids share a bond with, the books they read and the material they watch. You can be different in a regular school and not be very unique in an alternative school. Cause schools dont matter beyond a certain level.

Apologies if my views are not in line with the original post, but was just expressing my view on the topic.

[carnutfrombanga]

Originally Posted by GTO

Guess an IB school is what you are looking for? Same philosophy.

Hey GTO! From whatever little research I have done, alternative schools do have IGCSE/IB or ICSE/CBSE as their syllabus, but it doesn't necessarily dictate their approach to education, although the international ones are intrinsically more flexible/expansive.
Other more experienced members please do correct me if I am wrong.

Originally Posted by am1m

I've heard good things about The Valley School, towards Kanakpura. They have a great campus (people go there for birding). A friend whose kid studied there was very happy with the school.

I will definitely visit their Campus and find out more about the school.

Originally Posted by Samurai

I remember having a PUC classmate in 1984-86 who studied in Valley School until 10th. He was very different from rest of us.

I am curious what do differences do you remember?

Originally Posted by ajmat

My daughter studied in Mallya Aditi, You could look at Neev, NAFL, Indus but they all are expensive.

Thank you for the suggestions, I hadn't come across a couple of these names, will look into them.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

I'd recommend doing a visit to the Valley school (Kanakpura). I believe they might have discovery sessions for parents to evaluate alternate options (what they offer) to the usual schooling options.
....that kiddo is as normal as any of our kids.

Yes, as a parent considering this type of school, we are a bit apprehensive as there are a lot of opinions on how the kid might turn out, I suspect that it's best to talk to parents of alumni that have come through.
As pointed out by others, our involvement and the things they are exposed to outside of school play a major role as well.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Prakriya Green Wisdom School on Sarjapur Road fits into this category. Have heard 3rd person accounts of good feedback, no direct experience.

Thank you, will look into it.

Originally Posted by androdev

Alternative schools are great but they are very far off from home.... It's like donating your kid to some cult....
On a serious note, don't chase fancy schools. The academic pressure, etc. is mostly by parents. Schools are totally chill these days.

We are willing to relocate close to the school and I agree that some of these schools do have a rigid philosophy, I guess we just have to avoid those.

Originally Posted by swoosh

There is a Facebook group "Bangalore schools"...

Appreciate the heads-up!

Originally Posted by dmplog

Is residential school an option?

Thank you, but we are looking to avoid Residential Schools.

Originally Posted by motorworks

Not sure what is the specific reason behind OP’s search for an alternative school, but there is a lot down to parents and the kind of community the kids grow up in...
Cause schools dont matter beyond a certain level...
Apologies if my views are not in line with the original post

My reasons are to avoid constant exams, large amount of homework, non emphasis on rote learning, more practical based education incorporated into school days etc
I agree with you that schools are not the be-all and end-all but they do constitute an important part of one's upbringing.
Your views are perfectly in line with the post

[Roark]

Originally Posted by carnutfrombanga

Hello Team bhp members.

I have a 3 year old son and we live in Bengaluru.

My wife and I were quite keen on admitting him into an alternative school and was hoping to get feedback and suggestions from parents who have their kids in these schools or know someone in their close friend circle.

My criteria are lesser academic pressure, eg. No tests until 5th Standard or so, spending more time outdoors, lesser or no homework.

I was also hoping for more suggestions around Bengaluru.

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Are you open for a residential school?
Then, Rishi Valley is a good option that is about 3-4 hours from Bangalore. They allow residential options from the 4th Grade onwards.
The school generally, looks to follow the principles and teachings of J Krishnamurthi.